Reminiscence of the Butterfly Feltbeats
by elusivemelody
Summary: Slight AU, Marui x Fuji. Shots on Marui and Fuji's childhood together from Marui's point of view, featuring the Blue Triangle Butterfly and honey chocolate apples. // 'It was then that I concluded that he must have been an angel'


**REMINISCENCE OF THE BUTTERFLY FELTBEATS**

_A fanfiction written by elusivemelody_

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Prince of Tennis_

* * *

_A light green caterpillar hatched from a tiny white egg on the underside of the leaf._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Warily, I watched the lithe boy skipping in the long grass as he every once in a while bent down to pick a flower. After which, he would continue his little dance and twirl every once in a while. The boy then suddenly crouched down in the grass, making it near impossible to see him. Curiosity piqued, I approached the honey brown-haired boy that was now lying down, the flowers he had picked during his captivating dance scattered around him. His hands were clutched together as he would every once so often peek inside, smiling softly to himself.

In his hand was a beautiful black butterfly with a light blue crescent on each of its wings (1).

He was special.

He was unique.

He was the first friend I made.

"Hello," I started impulsively. He turned to look at me, eyes closed in an everlasting smile. I briefly wondered if his face was stuck like that because the wind had changed direction when he was smiling. "My name is Marui Bunta."

He gave me a dazzling smile, yet oddly enough, he didn't say anything.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_The caterpillar ate and ate, and grew fatter and fatter by the day._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I never knew where he lived. I always thought that the world outside my cottage was just endless plains of grass. Nothing else, so I had never expected more. Until I met him.

"Okaa-san (2)," I said.

"Yes, darling?" my mother replied absentmindedly, more intent on preparing dinner.

"Are there other people out there as well?"

"Huh?" she turned to me, confused by my words.

"What I meant was, are th-" I sighed. "Never mind."

"Hm, go outside and do whatever you want to do," Mother smiled at me.

"Yes Mother."

I stepped out of my cottage to see the boy playing on the tire swing attached to the one of the only trees that I knew of in the endless plains, waving to me as he saw me getting out of my cottage.

Somehow, he had found out where I lived, and yet I never found out where he lived.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_One day, the caterpillar met an exquisite butterfly, who taught him the secret to be beautiful._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I always wondered why he never said a word to me. He would smile at me, yes, that he would for he was smiling all the time. Whenever I asked him, he would tug on my hand and put a finger on his lips, asking me to be silent. We would then listen to the wind, and the rustling of the grass.

He was always the one looking for me. So this time I decided to look for him. I found him napping on a tree a distance away from my cottage and my breath caught.

He looked like an angel descended from the heavens.

As I approached, he stifled a yawn and rubbed his eyes blearily, smiling faintly at me.

I climbed onto the tree and sat next to him, "you're very pretty."

He laughed softly.

"Are you sure you are not a girl?" I asked curiously.

He then doubled over in laughter, nearly falling off the tree.

I eyed him oddly, wondering if it was something I said.

It was then that I first saw his eyes.

Beautiful crystalline blue eyes.

Bluer than the sky, bluer than anything I had ever seen.

His laughter was melodious, and very infectious. I laughed along with him. "Is your voice as pretty as your eyes?"

He paused for a moment, gazing at me intently.

Abruptly, he jumped off the tree, landing lightly on his toes.

He turned back, shot me a smile and put a finger to his lips, looking adorably cute.

"Hi-mit-su. (3)"

Then he ran away as I gaped at his fast disappearing figure.

His voice was like the tinkling chimes of an angel.

I ran after him, desperate for answers of which questions I didn't even know. Or maybe it was simply to find out where he lived.

But he was too fast, for he had invisible wings on his feet, I was sure of it.

It was then that I concluded that he must have been an angel. (4)

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_The caterpillar spun himself a chrysalis, and laid himself inside, hoping to look as magnificent as the butterfly._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Ne," he said suddenly, leisurely looking down at me from the top of the tree, "when is your birthday?"

"20th April," I responded near immediately, hauling myself up to sit next to him. He is apparently, quite fond of trees, as shown by how I always see him on one this few days despite how scarce they were around here. "When's yours?"

"I don't know," he smiled at me teasingly. "A monster ate it up so it only appears once every four years before the monster eats it up again."

I was confused but I didn't show it. I wanted to be a genius like him after all. And geniuses weren't supposed to be confused right?

"Saa," the boy said, getting up and slowly moved towards me. "Can I try something on you?"

Curious, I nodded.

"Close your eyes," he said, smiling brightly.

I followed his instructions, getting more and more curious as the seconds ticked past and nothing happened.

Just as I was about to peek, something soft pressed against my lips. Something ticklish nibbled on my lower lip gently and I yelped, and that thing entered my mouth before it withdrew completely and disappeared, though the taste of it still lingered in my mouth.

"Forgive me."

His quickly murmured apology resonated softly in my mind, binding me to the spot as I watched with wide eyes the quickly disappearing back of the cerulean-eyed boy.

I touched my lips with a hesitant finger and licked it slowly, wondering what that alluringly sweet taste was. A vague memory of a fair that I went to long ago appeared in my mind.

Honey chocolate apples.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_The caterpillar had now transformed into a fully-fledged butterfly, but he had trouble getting out of its chrysalis. He looked around for his friend, but his friend had disappeared. Though disappointed, he refused to let that get to him. So he struggled._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_Just like a star across my sky_

_Just like an angel off the page_

_You have appeared in my life_

_Feel like I'll never be the same._

_Just like a song in my heart_

_Just like oil on my hands_

Years later, I still haven't had the chance to see you.

You vanished from my life as abruptly as you had entered, and I'm sure I'll never be the same again.

I have long moved from the countryside to a more urban area of Japan, Kanagawa.

Yet, how many years has it been?

I don't even know your name, and yet I find myself thinking of you.

Once a fortnight, the world would cease to exist as all my thoughts were suddenly flooded with you.

Once a fortnight, I would dream of all those times we had spent together.

Sweet, childish and innocent.

I have found a kind of candy that I have taken a liking to. Apple-flavoured gum.

It reminded me of you, not that close, but close enough for me to remember.

Do you still remember me?

_And I feel like a new-born child_

_Every time I get a chance to see you smile_

_It's not complicated_

_I was so jaded_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_He had finally struggled out of the chrysalis, and laid his damp resplendent wings under the sunlight to dry, patiently waiting for his friend to return to him._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Marui-senpai (5)," Kirihara suddenly said, bursting me out of my thoughts, thoughts flooded with you.

My eyes opened, only to be met with oceans of dark indigo eyes.

I yelped and jumped backwards.

"Way too close Niou, back off!"

He smirked, "Just wanted to see how long you could space out for."

I sighed. I was not in the mood to deal with the infamous trickster of Rikkaidai today.

"Go away," I glared.

"Puri," Niou laughed and walked away casually, "you completely thrashed Bakaya in terms of spacing out."

Kirihara snarled at Niou playfully.

"We'll see who the baka is after I humiliate the tensai of Seigaku," Kirihara smirked, eyes directed towards the Seigaku stands. "Fuji Syuusuke."

I turned my head towards the said tensai, eyes widening.

That lithe body, honey brown hair, the porcelain face... And the most distinct feature that has been etched in my mind. His cerulean blue eyes that glinted angrily as he tested his racquet's tension at the Coach's bench.

_Fuji__ Syuusuke_.

"Don't you dare hurt him," I whispered threateningly.

Kirihara eyed me with large distrusting eyes while Niou playfully pretended to feel my forehead for a temperature. "What's up with you all of a sudden, Marui-senpai?" Kirihara frowned.

I scowled.

With that, he jumped off the stands and got onto the courts in preparation for his match.

I tore my amethyst eyes away from the courts and stalked away, unable to bring myself to watch the match.

Unable to bring myself to see him in pain.

_Fuji__ Syuusuke._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_True to his expectations, his friend swiftly fluttered back to him, the dignified strokes of his wings enticing him once more._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A butterfly landed on the water cooler near the Rikkaidai tennis courts.

My breath hitched. Black winged with light blue crescent markings, exactly the same as the one that he caught when I first met him. (6)

An urge suddenly came over me, overwhelming me, bidding me to go somewhere. I didn't know where. But the butterfly seemed to know.

It was on the train to Tokyo that I realised I had walked out on practice. But it was too late to go back now.

My mind was in a daze and my heart thumped against my chest painfully in anticipation for something. I wasn't sure what, or maybe I knew, but had refused to acknowledge it.

Then I saw him.

His silky brown hair that whipped around his slightly flushed pristine face in the wind, his cerulean eyes that were half-shown and glinting with amusement, his elegant strokes that sent the ball powerfully across the court.

I leaned comfortably against the cherry blossom tree, simply watching him practice from afar. I wasn't sure if he saw me, if he _felt _my presence, but he didn't acknowledge it. And yet time seemed to pass too quickly, for the sun was starting to set in a shower of gentle pink and orange hues of light, and their practice soon drew to a close.

"Hoi hoi," A cheerful voice drifted over to my ears. "Are you alright Fujiko-chan? You seemed a little out of sorts today."

At the sound of a rather odd nickname similar to his, I quickly turned to see him leisurely walking towards the school next to a redhead, who if I remembered correctly, was called Kikumaru. I briefly wondered how I knew as I wasn't paying attention during the Seigaku match, but my mind brushed it off as another one of my genius skills.

"Saa," he sighed, eyes glazing over as he stared into the distance.

Kikumaru's phone rang and his eyes widened comically as he dashed away leaving clouds of smoke trailing after him as he quickly yelled, "Sorry Fujiko I got to go!"

Fuji took a few more steps before abruptly halting and turning around to face me.

"Hello," I said pleasantly, though I was quivering uncontrollably on the inside. "It's been a long time hasn't it?"

"Saa," he smiled, eyes opening slightly. We walked for a while in a comfortable silence before he suddenly shivered slightly in the cool wind.

I draped my Rikkaidai jacket onto his shoulders, and his face turned towards mine questioningly.

"Keep it," I muttered, "I got spares back at the dormitories."

He nodded and looked back down and came to an abrupt halt once more.

"Ne," he asked quietly, looking at the floor. "Did I scare you when I kissed you then?"

Honey chocolate apples. Temptingly sweet, tempting close.

"Are you still angry at m--"

I crashed my lips onto his, unable to resist the sweet temptation anymore. He was unmoving and for a moment, I was scared that I had jumped to conclusions.

Does he love me still?

Just as I was about to pull away, to my utmost relief, he finally began responding to my kiss, hesitantly at first, before passionately throwing himself into it, his tongue exploring my mouth eagerly as we fought for control.

Honey chocolate apples.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_And the butterflies took flight. Together, and never to part._

* * *

My first short fic. I apologise for my lack of experience in writing and the crappy ending which was the hardest to write, really. 8D

Thanks to Roey, Janesy, Jade and OHGONGIL who all helped to look through my fic when I was done. And also to Monster who wanted me to acknowledge her also for lending me her eraser wihle I was making drafts of the ending on my class desk :D

Please read and review! (Flails in a desperate attempt to duck from the oncoming barrage of rotten tomatoes)

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_(1) The butterfly I was describing was a Blue Triangle Butterfly, otherwise known as a Bluebottle Butterfly. It is able to be found in Japan but probably not in grasslands. They are said to be very fast and thus hard to catch. It is also the same butterfly that was used in the side story of the pair of butterflies._

_(2) Okaa-san : Mother_

_(3) Himitsu : Secret_

_(4) Marui was also thinking back about the time when he first met Fuji who had a butterfly in his hands. Butterflies in Japan were believed to be the soul of a man or the soul of the dead. Hence Fuji may have been an angel setting the soul free. It also symbolised emerging beauty and grace, which could have symbolised as well the beauty of their friendship_

_(5) Senpai : upper-class man, senior_

_(6) It is said that butterflies in Japan were believed to be the soul of a man. It is said that if a butterfly entered a guest room and pitched behind the bamboo screen it was a sure sign that the person whom it represented would appear in the house. I twisted this myth to make the butterfly lead someone to the person it represented instead._


End file.
